Audiopile Review: Osamu Kitajima is probably best known for his pair of late ‘70s Japanese folk-infused psychedelic albums, Benzaiten and Osamu, both of which got the reissue treatment several years back, reigniting interest in the cult musician. The Forest Jams imprint has dug a little deeper into his extensive catalog and unearthed this gem, initially issued on CD by the short-lived CyberOctave label, a subsidiary of Virgin. The 1996 album was a continuation of his penchant for fusing the folk music of his home country with his interest in the new forms of western styles, this time pairing it with the burgeoning downtempo movement. With a small team of musicians, including, somewhat surprisingly, guitarist Nels Cline, Kitajima tastefully weaves in the traditional Japanese string instruments of the koto and biwa, and the winds of the shakuhachi and shinobue, with stoned breakbeats, tribal drums, bright synth lines, and a handful of vocalists that range from the more traditional Japanese folk singers to torchlit chanteuses more indicative of the downtempo genre. If you loved our highlighted reissue of Jah Wobble’s 1997 globally-minded trip-hop effort, The Light Programme, then Beyond the Circle might just be your bag.

An official re-issue of the 1996 album, Beyond the Circle, from Dr. Osamu Kitajima presented by Forest Jams on vinyl for the first time. As the title suggests, Japanese music explorer Osamu Kitajima takes the listener beyond the known on a musical voyage into new territory where his compositions are a synthesis of Western electronics and ambient dance rhythms, tempered by the wisdom of ancient Japanese traditions. “Beyond the Circle” is music that is as energizing as it is spiritual and melodic.